Skinny Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins

I just love a good blueberry muffin and love trying new variations on them. I wanted to find one that incorporated oatmeal because oats and blueberries and just so delicious together. One of my absolute favorite blogs Skinny Taste posted this recipe called Insanely Good Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins and with a name like that, I was sold! 

I made these larger than the standard muffin size because I wanted to give them as a welcome gift to our new neighbors. They told me how yummy they thought they were and I agreed! They are moist and dense but still have a wonderful texture. Even better -- they are low fat! Perfect in the morning with a big cup of hot coffee or a cold glass of milk, or in my case, both!

Skinny Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins
From Gina at Skinny Taste 
Makes 12 standard size muffins
Printable Version
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups quick cooking oatmeal
1 cup milk (almond or skim milk)
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed (I didn't have any on hand so used white sugar)
1 tablespoons honey (or agave)
1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce
2 egg whites
1 tablespoon oil
1 teaspoon vanilla (my homemade vanilla extract is pictured in vodka bottle)
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup blueberries
Baking spray

Directions
Preheat oven to 400. Line a muffin tin with liners and lightly spray with oil. Place oats in a food processor or copper and pulse a few times. Soak oats in milk for about 30 minutes. 

In a medium bowl combine the brown sugar, honey, apple sauce, vanilla, egg whites, oil and mix well. In a third bowl combine whole wheat flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and whisk to combine. Combine oats/milk mixture with sugar/apple sauce mixture and mix will. Slowly add in the dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated. Fold in the blueberries, saving a couple to place on top. 

Spoon into liners and bake for 22-24 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. 

Allow to cool on a wire rack. Keep in an airtight container. These taste great even the next day!

Banana Cashew Balls

One thing that I was most surprised about after giving birth to my daughter is how ravenously hungry I was during the first few weeks. I think it was from all the breastfeeding and energy I was expending caring for my little baby. I was always looking for a quick, healthy, and filling snack. So when I offered to bring our friends who just had a baby a meal, I also took them some of these Banana Cashew Balls. I actually found the recipe from looking at my friend's Pinterest page, as she is a super healthy eater. I wanted to make something I knew she would like and she mentioned on Pinterest that bananas and cashews were two of her favorite flavors. I happen to love both flavors too so was eager to try these myself. With no refined sugar, flour, or oil, these little balls are an excellent source of potassium, protein and carbs. They keep best in the fridge and were really great cold. 

Banana Cashew Balls
From FatFree Vegan Kitchen
Printable Version
Makes about 15 balls
Ingredients
2 overripe bananas
1/2 cup cashews

2 tablespoons ground flax seeds
6 tablespoons oatmeal
4 dates, pitted
1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped (didn't have these)

Directions
Cut the bananas into about 3/4 inch thick slices and place them on a microwave safe dish. Microwave at 60% power for about ten minutes (may need to be more) or until most of the moisture has boiled out of the banana. 

Pulse the cashews in the food processor until coarsely ground. Add the flax seed and oatmeal and pulse a few more times. Add the banana and dates and seeds from the vanilla bean. 

Blend into a thick paste. Moisten your hands and scoop up the paste in about one tablespoon portions. Form into balls. Cover and keep refrigerated. 

Healthy Breakfast Cookies

These breakfast cookies are extremely easy, quick, and super heathy. No sugar in these "cookies" unless you count the dates. They are moist and filling AND they are very adaptable, so you could substitute or add in  your favorite dried fruit for the dates. Cookies for breakfast? Yes please!

Healthy Breakfast Cookies
From Pinterest
Printable Version
Ingredients
1.5 cups oats
2 or 3 super ripe bananas 
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
Handful of chopped dates (or dried cranberries, apricots, or raisins)
A dash of cinnamon (to taste)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl. Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray. Drop by large spoonfuls onto cookie sheet. Bake for 35 minutes and remove to wire rack. Allow to cool and enjoy!

Chocolate Oat Bars

It is bad that I made these chocolate oatmeal bars solely because I wanted to use up a can of condensed milk? Well that and because I love the combination of oatmeal and chocolate. It's pretty terrific. 

But mostly this dessert came to be because I had a can of condensed milk that was going to spoil soon. After you make these and take a bite and discover how rich, moist, (thanks to the condensed milk) and decadent they are, I know you'll be in gooey chocolate heaven. I had a handful of white chocolate chips left over so used them up in this recipe as well. Another good decision! 

Chocolate Oatmeal Bars
From About.com
Printable Version
Ingredients
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups light brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups quick cooking oats
For the filling:
1 (15 oz can) sweetened condensed milk
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, if desired (I omitted these)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, cream together 1 cup butter and brown sugar. Beat in eggs and 2 teaspoons vanilla. In another bowl sift together the flour, baking soda, and 1 teaspoon salt. Then stir in oats. Stir dry ingredients into the creamed mixture until well blended; set aside. Pat about 2/3 of the oat mixture into the bottom of a greased 10X15X1 pan. Set aside remaining oat mixture. In a heavy saucepan over low heat combine sweetened condensed milk, chocolate chips, 2 tablespoons butter, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. 

Stir until melted and smooth. Stir in vanilla and pecans or walnuts if desired. 
Spread filling mixture over bottom crust of oatmeal in the baking pan and then crumble the remaining oat mixture over the top. 

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Cool before cutting into squares. 

Small Batch Baking: Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Scones

About six months ago I entered a give away on one of my favorite blogs and won the cookbook Small Batch Baking for Chocolate Lovers. Last week I finally browsed through it and settled on these chocolate chip oatmeal scones as my first Small Batch Baking attempt. I had an obstetrics appointment so made these in the morning and took them in for the doctor. It's always smart to stay on the good side of someone who may deliver your baby, right?! :) Anyway, the original recipe made only two scones but I doubled the recipe so hubby and I could each have one too. They were so delicious! A perfect texture and a great balance between oatmeal and chocolate chip. If I were drinking coffee I would have drank a big ol cup of it with these scones, but I went with a nice cold glass of milk instead. I am sure you could substitute whatever you like in your scones for chocolate chips: cinnamon chips, blueberries, etc.

Small Batch Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Scones
From Small Batch Baking for Chocolate Lovers by Debby Maugans 
Makes 4 scones
Printable Version
Ingredients
4 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter
1/2 cup plus 4 tablespoons oats, uncooked
1/2 cup plus 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon sugar, divided
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips or chunks (I used milk chocolate)
2 tablespoons half and half
2 tablespoons well beaten egg

Directions
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside (I used my silpat mat). Cut the butter into 1/2 inch pieces; freeze while preparing the other ingredients. Place the oats in a food processor and process until finely ground, about 30 seconds. Add the flour, 2 tablespoons of sugar, baking powder and salt. Pulse until well combined, 3 to 4 pulses. Sprinkle the butter pieces over the flour mixture; pulse until butter pieces are no larger than peas, about 7 pieces. Add chocolate chips, half and half, and egg. 

Cover and pulse until the dough is well combined and moist clumps form, about 7 pulses. Transfer the dough to a work surface and form into a disk. Divide the dough into quarters with a knife.

Shape into scones, about 1 inch thick and place on the baking sheet with at 2 inches in between each scone. Sprinkle the tops with the remaining sugar. 

Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of one comes out clean, 15 to 17 minutes. Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature. These scones are best the day they are baked! 

Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Smoothie

When my sister in law visited for the Holidays we made these smoothies after a morning workout. Although the idea of oats in a smoothie may be a little off putting, they are ground into a powder so that you don't even notice them. This smoothie is my new favorite - it's uber healthy and very filling. I modified the original recipe by adding in walnuts (a pregnancy super food) and ground flax seeds. 

Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Smoothie
From This Chick Cooks
Printable Version
Makes 2 small smoothies
Ingredients
2 frozen bananas, peeled and sliced
1/4 cup oats
1/4 cup peanut butter
Sprinkle of walnuts
Sprinkle of ground flax seed
3/4 cup milk


Directions 
Put oats in a blender and blend until powdery. 

Add remaining ingredients.

Blend until smooth and no banana chunks remain. Garnish with fresh banana slices if desired. 

Week of Holiday Treats: No Bake Chocolate Cookies

These no bake cookies are the easiest cookies in the world! They don't require an oven and from start to finish only take half an hour. With a blend of chocolate, peanut butter, and oatmeal these cookies are delicious on top of being a cinch to make.


No Bake Chocolate Cookies
From my home church's cookbook
Printable Version
Makes about 2 dozen cookies
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups oats
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons butter
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup milk
4 tablespoons cocoa
1/2 teaspoon salt (I omitted this since I used butter with salt)

Directions
In a large bowl mix together oatmeal, peanut butter, vanilla, and butter. In a small saucepan boil sugar, milk, cocoa, and salt. Mix the wet and dry ingredients together in the large mixing bowl. 

Drop into cookies on waxed paper and allow to cool for about 20 minutes before eating or storing in an airtight container. 

Pumpkin Oatmeal

The cooking blog world is being inundated with pumpkin recipes right now, so I thought I'd add one more. If you're feeling fall-ish and want a little pumpkin in your life try this clean eating pumpkin oatmeal. 

I'm going to save you the disappointment I experienced and come right out with the truth: this does not taste like pumpkin pie.  It tastes likes pumpkin oatmeal, thus I changed the title to reflect this. It is however very pumpkiny and filling and healthy. It's also a beautiful orange color and will help you get into the fall spirit. 

Pumpkin Oatmeal
Serves 1
From The Gracious Pantry
Printable Version
Ingredients
1/4 cup dry oats, cooked (I used steel cut oats)
1/4 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (I created my own with cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and ginger)

1 tablespoon flax seeds (I used ground)
1/4 cup pecans
Maple syrup to taste

Directions
Cook oats according to package directions. In the last five minutes of cooking stir in the pumpkin puree, flax, and pumpkin spice.

Scoop mixture into a serving bowl and top with pecans and maple syrup. 

Apple Pie Baked Oatmeal

Oatmeal is such a great breakfast. It's healthy, filling, and quick. This baked oatmeal is perfect for weekday mornings when you're in a rush. It kicks the butt of the Quaker Oat envelopes I usually eat! I'd seen Baked Oatmeal on several blogs but Megan's sold me. She gives so many different variations it was hard for me to choose. I went with the Apple Pie version because I wanted to use fresh fruit and because Apple Pie is just too yummy sounding not to try. I also added in chopped pecans for a little crunch. This baked oatmeal is super easy, very comforting, and delicious when heated up with a little milk. When cut into squares, baked oatmeal also travels well for an easy snack. I'm going to try Megan's peanut butter recipe next.  

Apple Pie Baked Oatmeal
From Food and Whine
Printable Version


Ingredients
1 1/2 cups quick cooking oats
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons flax seed meal
1/4 cup honey or brown sugar
3/4 cup milk (I used Vanilla Almond Milk)
1 teaspoon vanilla (my Homemade Vanilla Extract is pictured in the vodka bottle)
1 egg
1 tablespoon melted butter (I omitted this accidentally and couldn't taste a difference!)
1 diced apple
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together the dry ingredients in a bowl. Mix wet ingredients separately and add to the dry ingredients. Mix until combined. Pour mixture into a lightly greased 8X8 pan. Cook for 20-25 minutes until the edges are golden brown. Will keep for about a week if covered in an airtight container.

30 Things to Make Before I Turn 30: Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Today I am exactly 3 months away from the big 3-0, so I wanted to take a look at how I am doing on my 30 Things to Make Before I Turn 30 List. 


Here it is:

30 Things to Make Before I Turn 30

1. Cornish Hens [Check!]

2. Homemade Salsa [Check!]

3. Oatmeal Raisin Cookies [Check!]

4.  Noodles from scratch  [Check!]

5. Cheese Souffle 

6. Blueberry Pie

7. Homemade Marshmallows

8. She Crab Soup [Check!]

9. Beef Pot Roast [Check!]

10. Julia Childs' Bearnaise Sauce [Check!]

11. Monkey Bread [Check!]

12. Yeast Bread

13. Sweet Potato Soup [Check!]

14. Julia Childs' Poulet au Porto [Check!]
15. Homemade Pretzels with Homemade Mustard Dip [Check!]

16. Scones [Check!]

17. Beer battered fish [Check!]

18. Homemade Granola [Check!]

19. Rack of lamb [Check!]

20. Pasties (Recipe from A. Chris)  [Check!]
21. Pioneer Woman's Rosemary Rolls [Check!]
22. Lasanga [Check!]
23. Eggplant Parmesean [Check!]
24. Fettucine Alfredo [Check!]
25. English Muffins
26. German Potato Salad[Check!]
27. Giada De Laurentiis's Basil Pesto Sauce [Check!]
28. Rib Eye Steak with Pan Jus [Check!]
29. Chicken Braised in Red Wine
30. Bean Burgers  [Check!]

So I have 6 more items that I need to check off in the next 3 months:

1. Cheese Souffle

2. Blueberry Pie 

3. Homemade Marshmallows

4. Yeast Bread

5. English Muffins

6. Chicken Braised in Red Wine

If you have any recipes or recommendations for the six remaining items, be sure to let me know!

These Oatmeal Raisin Cookies were the very first thing I made using my beautiful new KitchenAid mixer that was an early Christmas gift from my fabulous husband. I was amazed at how much EASIER and QUICKER whipping up a batch of cookies is with the KitchenAid. I'm officially in love. 

Since I am not a huge chocolate fan, my favorite cookies do not contain chocolate - snickerdoodles, sugar cookies, and oatmeal raisins are definitely my top three. I had never made my own oatmeal raisin cookies before this. These cookies were turned out beautifully. I loved how the vanilla and clove flavors really shined through. They were moist and fluffy. I want to make them again right now. 

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

From Better Home and Gardens Cookbook

Makes about 48 cookies

Printable Version

Ingredients

3/4 cup butter, softened

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 granulated sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups rolled oats
1 cup raisins

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add brown sugar, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon and cloves. Beat until combined, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally. Beat in eggs and vanilla until combined. 
Beat in the flour. Stir in the rolled oats then stir in the raisins.

Drop by rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. 

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are golden. Cook on cookie sheet for 1 minute, then transfer to a wire rack to let cool.